The present invention relates to connecting or fastening devices, and particularly to a connecting apparatus that permits an object, such as a radio paging receiver or the like, to be removably fastened to a belt.
A number of such connecting apparatuses have been provided heretofore. Fundamentally, these connecting apparatuses include male and female members engageable with each other. In some such devices a tilting of the male member is necessary in order to effect insertion into the female member to effect the type of interconnection which is commonly used on pegboards. In other such devices, a retaining clip or member is used to lock the male and female members together. Other types of devices are characterized by two types of movement of the male member during attachment to the female member, viz., an inserting movement followed by a rotational movement to bring the parts to a position which prevents detachment. The two movements are reversed for disconnection of the parts. The present invention relates fundamentally to this last type of connecting apparatus.
One such type of connecting apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,878,589. However that device requires the use of a bias spring member to retain the parts in their attached condition. Another such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,743,147 which utilizes a generally D-shaped male member insertable into a generally D-shaped opening in the female member. This configuration results in an arrangement wherein, when the male member is rotated to its attached position, the main area of engagement with the female member is at the bottom of the opening therein, the only other points of engagement being at two very small spaced-apart regions adjacent to the top of the opening. Since the natural tendency of the attached object, in this case a radio receiver, is to tilt so that the upper part of the button is pulled out of the hole, these very small upper bearing regions wear out rather rapidly, significantly shortening useful life of the device.
Furthermore, the female members of the devices of both of these patents are of relatively expensive multi-part construction, involving the use of two parallel plates secured together for cooperation to define a recess for receiving the male member. cl SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a general object of the present invention to provide a quick-release connecting apparatus which avoids the disadvantages of prior devices, while affording additional structural and operating advantages.
An important object of the invention is the provision of a quick-release connecting apparatus which is of relatively simple and economical construction.
It is another object of the invention to provide a connecting apparatus of the type set forth which provides a secure attachment while affording improved wear resistance of the engaged portions of the apparatus.
Still another object of the invention is the provision of a connecting apparatus of the type set forth, which provides a relatively tight interconnection wherein the parts are substantially inhibited from non-rotational movement.
These and other objects of the invention are attained by providing quick-release connecting apparatus for detachably interconnecting two objects, such as a belt and a device to be carried on the belt, including in combination: a female member adapted to be secured to one of the objects and having a front surface, the female member having a generally teardrop-shaped opening in the front surface thereof and a recess formed behind said opening, the recess being larger than the opening and communicating with the entire area of the opening and defining a bearing surface along the periphery of the opening, a male member adapted to be secured to the other object and having a stud extending therefrom and a button at the distal end of the stud, the button having the same configuration as the opening and being sized to pass therethrough but having a cross-sectional area substantially greater than that of the stud so that the button forms a flange extending laterally from the stud, the male member being rotatable about the axis of the stud between first and second positions when the stud is disposed in the opening with the button disposed in the recess, the button being aligned with the opening when the male member is in the first position thereof for permitting insertion of the button into and withdrawal of the button from the opening, the button being out of alignment with the opening and engageable with the bearing surface when the male member is in the second position thereof for preventing detachment of the male body from the female body.
The invention consists of certain novel features and a combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the details may be made without departing from the spirit, or sacrificing any of the advantages of the present invention.